Driving home from work one afternoon, I decided to pay my parents a surprise visit....but the surprise was on me. Walking into the house as I bounded up the stairs...."Hi!"...I exclaimed. My smile turned to horror. I saw my father writhing on the couch in tears. A 6' 2" WWII Veteran, who was my ROCK, Fearless.....a Survivor. The first time in my life I saw my "Warrior" figure in a helpless state. He had been doctoring for a while as he complained about back pain but I guess the "doctor knows best" and tests were conducted in other areas....as the back pain got worse and became unbearable.
Being the out-spoken one in the family....I called my father's doctor and told the nurse about the unbearable pain my father was in and demanded an xray immediately. After being "put off" for about five minutes I finally wore the woman down and I was told to get my father to the medical building on Hart Street for a chest xray. A tumor the size of an orange.....growing beyond the lung wall and spreading to the surrounding lymph nodes and two ribs.
My Dad was diagnosed with Lung Cancer in February, 1998.....and died in September of that same year. I do not like to think about the months in between as I saw my father deteriorate before my very eyes....waste away and lose his senses as the cancer spread to the brain. But the one thing I will never forget....is the visit to his oncologist to get his biopsy results. "Louie", he said...."do you get chemical lawn service?" I looked at my mother...my mother looked at me. "No", she said..."but my husband smoked", thinking the lung cancer was caused by his smoking. The doctor explained to us that in this case the lung cancer was not caused by cigarette smoke....as the tumor showed an abundant amount of pesticides in the tissues that were characteristic of this type of tumor and cancer. No....my parents never used chemical lawn service.....BUT, their neighbors did.
Amazing....Pesticides ambushed my family twice. And the trigger was pulled by the people who purchase them and apply them. These products are DANGEROUS, people! In other countries they are referred to as Weapons of Mass Destruction. And furthermore...Pesticides attack the health and life of everyone that uses them. Companies that manufacture pesticides and herbicides spend big money to promote their products as safe....when they know they are not. Take Syngenta for instance. Syngenta paid millions of dollars in a covert effort to protect its herbicide atrazine and discredit critics...http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/2013/atrazine. Round Up has these "dancie/prancie" commercials that lead you to believe it is perfectly safe. But recent and past studies show it promotes Cancer....whether lymphoma or breast cancer....it promotes cancer. And you purchase it, and YOU use it and you are putting yourself, family and neighbors in danger. If our government will not do the right thing and take these dangerous products off the market....will YOU take personal responsibility and do the right thing??? DO NOT PURCHASE these products my friend. If AMERICANS will STOP buying into mass marketing and STOP purchasing these products....you will eliminate the problem. When a product is no longer being purchased, there will be no reason to manufacture it. Your government and big business is using you as shmucks!!! YOU are the cause of your own demise....and big business and the Medical Industry is making money on your illness, pain and suffering.
SMARTEN Up, people! You are doing it to yourselves....and everyone else. I choose to live pesticides free. But my neighbor's choices and actions are preventing me to Live Healthy Chemical Free.
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Sunday, June 16, 2013
From Agent Orange to Round Up and Chemical Lawn Service
Remember Agent Orange----the scourge of the Viet Nam War? It was used as a defoliant by the US Military to expose the enemy. But, as true to the Law of Cause and Effect….Agent Orange had a vengeful component, wrecking havoc with the health of the American soldiers, causing their off spring to suffer horrific birth defects and delivered a blow to the reputation of the United States…portraying our country as the Monster of the Universe. But where did Agent Orange come from?....and where did it go?....Agent Orange was born in a laboratory at Yale University in our wonderful State of Connecticut. It’s birth was not the intended outcome. Here is the story of a beneficial idea gone wrong.
Arthur Galston was a Plant Biologist at Yale University and experimented with a plant growth regulator, triiodobenzoic acid. He found that it could induce soybeans to flower and grow more rapidly but also noted that if applied in excess, the compound would cause the plant to shed its leaves and die. He aborted his experiment as it posed too much of a threat to plant life but seeing as he was working under a government grant….his research was reported to the US Government and his findings landed on the desk of the Department of Defense….. Galston’s discovery was turned into a weapon of war….and one of the major health hazards to all living things, including YOU.
From 1962 to 1970, American troops released an estimated 20 million gallons of Agent Orange Defoliant to destroy crops and expose Viet Cong positions and routes of movement during the Vietnam War. But the chemical was loaded with dioxins, which have proven to be associated with cancers, birth defects and learning disabilities.
When Galston learned of how his research was being used….he became heavy of heart to think that his discovery was used to destroy “Life”….plant life, water life and human life for generations to come. In 1970, Galston charged that Agent Orange, being carcinogenic, posed a serious health risk and was a permanent pollutant to the environment. He lobbied the Department of Defense to conduct toxicological studies, which found that compounds in Agent Orange could be linked to cancer and birth defects in laboratory rats. This revelation led President Nixon to order a halt to the spraying of Agent Orange…..and you would think THAT was the end of that. No it was not….it was only the beginning of a story so horrifying and most people have no idea what they are doing to themselves, their children and pets….not to mention their neighbors. So….now we know the story of where Agent Orange came from, so…..where did it go?....... Enter….Monsanto. Remember how the US Government took Dr. Galston’s discovery and turned it into Agent Orange during the Vietnam War?....well, who do you think manufactured Agent Orange?…..yup, Monsanto. Monsanto made MILLIONS during the war manufacturing Agent Orange. Yes, they knew it was detrimental to the environment and human health….but didn’t care. They were making money!!!....bushels of it. So in 1970 when President Nixon Banned the use of Agent Orange in Vietnam do you think Monsanto was sad? NO!!!....because in 1969 Monsanto started producing herbicides with the same ingredients used in Agent Orange (2, 4, 5-T, and 2,4-D or otherwise known as Round Up) but instead of selling these herbicides to the US Military…..they started selling it to YOU in the form of Chemical Lawn Service.
The era of herbicides and pesticides took off…..making billions of dollars in profits for chemical companies…..thanks to the “American Consumer”. But the chemical companies were not the only businesses making money off the public. Advertisers and commercialism capitalized on brain washing people into thinking they needed chemical products to kill ants…kill insects…kill weeds….kill dandelions…kill, Kill, KILL. But what they didn’t tell you was that these products were killing YOU….killing you, and your children and pets, and your neighbors.
Another industry that made money off the sale of chemical pesticides and herbicides was the medical industry and the pharmaceutical companies. Yes folks, the pesticides and herbicides that you have been brainwashed into thinking you need will make you sick and eventually kill you. Let me put it this way….Pesticides and Herbicides are CARCINOGENIC!....Cancer….sound familiar? Cancer has hit practically every family, so instead of fighting for the cure…..don’t you think it makes more sense to eliminate the cause? If studies show and have proven that pesticides and herbicides are detrimental to your health and the health of your family…why in the world would you use them, let alone pay money for them? Just doesn’t make sense.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says that Americans apply 90 million pounds of pesticides and herbicides every year in order to get lush green yards, and surveys have found that because their use is so heavy, those chemicals can drift into our homes—even if they started out on a neighbor’s lawn and not your own. Lawns that have been chemically treated on a regular basis eventually become “chemically dependent”….something like a drug addict. You will know soon enough when your lawn becomes chemically dependent because it will literally start to die….and your soil becomes contaminated….and you have no one to blame but yourself. Our chemically addicted lawns are as polluting to our health and to waterways as chemical agriculture has become.
Chemical Lawn Service seems like a quick, easy fix for lawn problems that can be corrected without nerve-damaging and ecohazardous chemicals like glyphosate (used in Roundup) and 2,4-D (used in products made by Scotts and Weed B Gone). A safer way to eliminate weeds from your lawn would be to do what your grandparents did….bend over and pull them up. Not only would your lawn be weed free….but your waistline would look better and the sunshine would be good for you. Or, if you do not have time for that, there are Organic alternatives that are chemical free and it is a proven fact that you will have a healthier and better looking lawn for less money in the long run…..and you will not be killing yourself, your children and pets and your neighbors.
Which brings me back to the question….when and why did Americans declare war on weeds, anyway? Are we that gullible and lazy to give our independent thinking over to multi national corporations and the government? Some weeds you can eat, some weeds are medicinal, some weeds are pretty, and other weeds are signs of a problem. If you want your lawn to be healthy, clover is a good weed to have in the landscape. It usually appears when your soil is low in nitrogen levels, but it helps fix the problem by bringing nitrogen to the soil. Solution: Leave it alone! When you mow, the clover clippings will add nitrogen to your lawn, helping to fix the problem without fertilizer. And remember folks….fertilizers are chemicals, that can harm your health.
Dandelions indicate that your grass isn’t developing healthy roots, or that there are nutrient problems in your soil. The turf may be either low in calcium, too high in potassium, or too acidic. Get a soil test to find out what’s out of whack, and use the results to strategize ways to balance out the nutrients. You can use a spray of undiluted white vinegar to kill the existing weeds (being carefully not to zap nearby grass) or next Spring spread corn gluten on the lawn. Corn gluten prevents dandelions from germinating, and it also feeds the grass, making it stronger and more resistant to weeds. Corn glutin feeds the soil, kills the weeds without killing you and your children and pets and your neighbors. And remember….do not over mow your lawn or cut it too short….This weakens the roots and promotes the growth of weeds.
Crabgrass appears when you’ve mowed the lawn too short. Dig out the crabgrass, roots and all, and then set your mower’s blade higher. Corn gluten will help prevent crabgrass, too. But, again, the corn meal has to be applied in early spring, before the crabgrass has taken root.
Brown grass is also a sign of overmowing, which prevents the grass from getting enough water. Set your mower a little higher and mow less frequently. The higher you allow your grass to grow, the deeper the roots will grow and the better it will retain moisture, especially during hot, dry spells. Sometimes brown grass is a sign of nutrient depletion, in which case you may want to plant some clover to add nitrogen to the soil. A soil test will tell you if your soil needs added nutrients. Brown grass may also be caused by white grubs, a pest that can be eliminated with the same beneficial nematodes used to fix bare patches.
An overly watered or overly fertilized lawn is prone to mildew, which is not healthy for your lawn nor your air quality as mold is also a carcinogen….and chemical lawn service promotes mold growth for your lawn and soil. If you have to water your lawn, do it in the morning rather than early evening. Leaving grass wet overnight makes it prone to mildew and other fungal diseases. Also, water infrequently and deeply, which not only cuts down on mildew problems, but it also allows your grass to grow a deeper root system that makes it less prone to weeds.
If you decide to grow a chemical free lawn, but your neighbors still use chemical lawn services….your yard and lawn will be contaminated with pesticides by what is commonly called “drift”. If there is a slight breeze, the spray from your neighbor’s chemical application will drift into your yard and contaminate your lawn and anything and everything it comes in contact with. Also, after the pesticides and herbicides are applied….they out gas, they emit toxic fumes into the air that will migrate or “drift” into your yard. This drift of chemicals can also get into your home in the summer when you leave your windows open. This reminds me of the woman who saw her cat, sitting on the window sill fall over onto the floor dead. She picked up her beloved pet and drove to the vet where she was asked first off….was the window open and was your neighbor treating his lawn with chemicals to which the answer was yes. Talk to your neighbors and let them know the hazards of chemical lawn service and suggest an organic regiment instead. And finally….if you are too busy to organically tend to your lawn yourself….there are a lot of authentic Organic Lawn Services in the area.
So here you have it folks. Agent Orange from the jungles of Viet Nam, brought right to your door step by Large Companies like Monsanto, disguised in catchy names like….Round Up and Tru Green. Proven to be carcinogenic…..and you order it, pay for it and probably get sick on it….all in the name of “the Perfect lawn”. Don’t you think you owe it to your family…your pets….and your neighbors to stop the use of pesticides and herbicides and….GO Organic…..
Arthur Galston was a Plant Biologist at Yale University and experimented with a plant growth regulator, triiodobenzoic acid. He found that it could induce soybeans to flower and grow more rapidly but also noted that if applied in excess, the compound would cause the plant to shed its leaves and die. He aborted his experiment as it posed too much of a threat to plant life but seeing as he was working under a government grant….his research was reported to the US Government and his findings landed on the desk of the Department of Defense….. Galston’s discovery was turned into a weapon of war….and one of the major health hazards to all living things, including YOU.
From 1962 to 1970, American troops released an estimated 20 million gallons of Agent Orange Defoliant to destroy crops and expose Viet Cong positions and routes of movement during the Vietnam War. But the chemical was loaded with dioxins, which have proven to be associated with cancers, birth defects and learning disabilities.
When Galston learned of how his research was being used….he became heavy of heart to think that his discovery was used to destroy “Life”….plant life, water life and human life for generations to come. In 1970, Galston charged that Agent Orange, being carcinogenic, posed a serious health risk and was a permanent pollutant to the environment. He lobbied the Department of Defense to conduct toxicological studies, which found that compounds in Agent Orange could be linked to cancer and birth defects in laboratory rats. This revelation led President Nixon to order a halt to the spraying of Agent Orange…..and you would think THAT was the end of that. No it was not….it was only the beginning of a story so horrifying and most people have no idea what they are doing to themselves, their children and pets….not to mention their neighbors. So….now we know the story of where Agent Orange came from, so…..where did it go?....... Enter….Monsanto. Remember how the US Government took Dr. Galston’s discovery and turned it into Agent Orange during the Vietnam War?....well, who do you think manufactured Agent Orange?…..yup, Monsanto. Monsanto made MILLIONS during the war manufacturing Agent Orange. Yes, they knew it was detrimental to the environment and human health….but didn’t care. They were making money!!!....bushels of it. So in 1970 when President Nixon Banned the use of Agent Orange in Vietnam do you think Monsanto was sad? NO!!!....because in 1969 Monsanto started producing herbicides with the same ingredients used in Agent Orange (2, 4, 5-T, and 2,4-D or otherwise known as Round Up) but instead of selling these herbicides to the US Military…..they started selling it to YOU in the form of Chemical Lawn Service.
The era of herbicides and pesticides took off…..making billions of dollars in profits for chemical companies…..thanks to the “American Consumer”. But the chemical companies were not the only businesses making money off the public. Advertisers and commercialism capitalized on brain washing people into thinking they needed chemical products to kill ants…kill insects…kill weeds….kill dandelions…kill, Kill, KILL. But what they didn’t tell you was that these products were killing YOU….killing you, and your children and pets, and your neighbors.
Another industry that made money off the sale of chemical pesticides and herbicides was the medical industry and the pharmaceutical companies. Yes folks, the pesticides and herbicides that you have been brainwashed into thinking you need will make you sick and eventually kill you. Let me put it this way….Pesticides and Herbicides are CARCINOGENIC!....Cancer….sound familiar? Cancer has hit practically every family, so instead of fighting for the cure…..don’t you think it makes more sense to eliminate the cause? If studies show and have proven that pesticides and herbicides are detrimental to your health and the health of your family…why in the world would you use them, let alone pay money for them? Just doesn’t make sense.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says that Americans apply 90 million pounds of pesticides and herbicides every year in order to get lush green yards, and surveys have found that because their use is so heavy, those chemicals can drift into our homes—even if they started out on a neighbor’s lawn and not your own. Lawns that have been chemically treated on a regular basis eventually become “chemically dependent”….something like a drug addict. You will know soon enough when your lawn becomes chemically dependent because it will literally start to die….and your soil becomes contaminated….and you have no one to blame but yourself. Our chemically addicted lawns are as polluting to our health and to waterways as chemical agriculture has become.
Chemical Lawn Service seems like a quick, easy fix for lawn problems that can be corrected without nerve-damaging and ecohazardous chemicals like glyphosate (used in Roundup) and 2,4-D (used in products made by Scotts and Weed B Gone). A safer way to eliminate weeds from your lawn would be to do what your grandparents did….bend over and pull them up. Not only would your lawn be weed free….but your waistline would look better and the sunshine would be good for you. Or, if you do not have time for that, there are Organic alternatives that are chemical free and it is a proven fact that you will have a healthier and better looking lawn for less money in the long run…..and you will not be killing yourself, your children and pets and your neighbors.
Which brings me back to the question….when and why did Americans declare war on weeds, anyway? Are we that gullible and lazy to give our independent thinking over to multi national corporations and the government? Some weeds you can eat, some weeds are medicinal, some weeds are pretty, and other weeds are signs of a problem. If you want your lawn to be healthy, clover is a good weed to have in the landscape. It usually appears when your soil is low in nitrogen levels, but it helps fix the problem by bringing nitrogen to the soil. Solution: Leave it alone! When you mow, the clover clippings will add nitrogen to your lawn, helping to fix the problem without fertilizer. And remember folks….fertilizers are chemicals, that can harm your health.
Dandelions indicate that your grass isn’t developing healthy roots, or that there are nutrient problems in your soil. The turf may be either low in calcium, too high in potassium, or too acidic. Get a soil test to find out what’s out of whack, and use the results to strategize ways to balance out the nutrients. You can use a spray of undiluted white vinegar to kill the existing weeds (being carefully not to zap nearby grass) or next Spring spread corn gluten on the lawn. Corn gluten prevents dandelions from germinating, and it also feeds the grass, making it stronger and more resistant to weeds. Corn glutin feeds the soil, kills the weeds without killing you and your children and pets and your neighbors. And remember….do not over mow your lawn or cut it too short….This weakens the roots and promotes the growth of weeds.
Crabgrass appears when you’ve mowed the lawn too short. Dig out the crabgrass, roots and all, and then set your mower’s blade higher. Corn gluten will help prevent crabgrass, too. But, again, the corn meal has to be applied in early spring, before the crabgrass has taken root.
Brown grass is also a sign of overmowing, which prevents the grass from getting enough water. Set your mower a little higher and mow less frequently. The higher you allow your grass to grow, the deeper the roots will grow and the better it will retain moisture, especially during hot, dry spells. Sometimes brown grass is a sign of nutrient depletion, in which case you may want to plant some clover to add nitrogen to the soil. A soil test will tell you if your soil needs added nutrients. Brown grass may also be caused by white grubs, a pest that can be eliminated with the same beneficial nematodes used to fix bare patches.
An overly watered or overly fertilized lawn is prone to mildew, which is not healthy for your lawn nor your air quality as mold is also a carcinogen….and chemical lawn service promotes mold growth for your lawn and soil. If you have to water your lawn, do it in the morning rather than early evening. Leaving grass wet overnight makes it prone to mildew and other fungal diseases. Also, water infrequently and deeply, which not only cuts down on mildew problems, but it also allows your grass to grow a deeper root system that makes it less prone to weeds.
If you decide to grow a chemical free lawn, but your neighbors still use chemical lawn services….your yard and lawn will be contaminated with pesticides by what is commonly called “drift”. If there is a slight breeze, the spray from your neighbor’s chemical application will drift into your yard and contaminate your lawn and anything and everything it comes in contact with. Also, after the pesticides and herbicides are applied….they out gas, they emit toxic fumes into the air that will migrate or “drift” into your yard. This drift of chemicals can also get into your home in the summer when you leave your windows open. This reminds me of the woman who saw her cat, sitting on the window sill fall over onto the floor dead. She picked up her beloved pet and drove to the vet where she was asked first off….was the window open and was your neighbor treating his lawn with chemicals to which the answer was yes. Talk to your neighbors and let them know the hazards of chemical lawn service and suggest an organic regiment instead. And finally….if you are too busy to organically tend to your lawn yourself….there are a lot of authentic Organic Lawn Services in the area.
So here you have it folks. Agent Orange from the jungles of Viet Nam, brought right to your door step by Large Companies like Monsanto, disguised in catchy names like….Round Up and Tru Green. Proven to be carcinogenic…..and you order it, pay for it and probably get sick on it….all in the name of “the Perfect lawn”. Don’t you think you owe it to your family…your pets….and your neighbors to stop the use of pesticides and herbicides and….GO Organic…..
Monday, June 10, 2013
Everybody Needs A Wakeup Call
As far as I can remember, I always had a respect for Nature and knew everything had it's place in the balance of things. But, I did not understand the role chemicals would have in my life until 1986, when I was exposed to pesticides and nearly died......and in a way I did. I do not think my story is unique....but it NEEDS to be told.
It was 1986 and I was at the top of my game....I was a winner with each role of the dice. I had survived the recession of the '70's totally unscathed...had more job offers than I was able to accept and made more money than I ever dreamed. At the height of gas rationing I went out and bought myself a Lincoln Mark V and walked around in Tahari Suits dripping with gold jewelry and perfect makeup from the top of my permed head to the bottom of my painted toes. Yes, life was good....I was prosperous and dressed up like a New York Model. That all changed in a twinkling of an eye and a deep breath.
It was July 8th, 1986 about 5:30pm and I was in the emergency room at New Britain General in a coma unable to move, speak or see....but I was able to hear. The doctors were perplexed, as the lab reports came back....and no explanation of why I was in a coma. I heard one doctor say, "I don't understand this. It is like an acute allergic reaction....like an anaphylactic shock. What was different?....what did she do that was different? Did she change her laundry detergent?....did she eat a new food? Something she was exposed to is causing this reaction. I can remember hearing my dad say....I don't think she did anything different....except for the exterminators spraying her apartment this morning. At that piece of information about the exterminator....the doctor shouted out....PESTICIDES! She has "pesticide poisoning".......
Pesticide poisoning, I thought.....what is pesticide poisoning? HA! I was to soon find out. More tests were taken...but more specific tests. The most important and telling tests were those taken of my liver functions. In the 3 hours since my first inhalation of the fumes from the pesticides, my lab tests showed "liver damage". I heard the doctor say....these tests confirm, she has pesticide poisoning....but we do not know what to do for it....how to treat it. What we do know is that her immune system is being destroyed and her health will get worse to the point where she will be allergic to everything in her environment....she will develop Multiple Chemical Sensitivities and become a "universal reactor". The pesticides have destroyed the cholinesterase in her system....and she will become sensitive to every chemical she comes in contact with. What kind of mad talk is this, I thought? I could not process these words....but I will never forget them. That was the beginning of the end of my life as I knew it........
What is this madness?...pesticides poisoning, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, cholinesterase, universal reactor? I'm fine. I came out of my coma in just 2 days....and after 6 weeks the tingling and numbness in my arms and legs are gone. So what is the big deal? I am Donna again! But I wasn't. I would never be "Donna" again. Very soon I noticed I was developing breathing problems...that continuously got worse day by day...related to what I was exposed to. I noticed that when I did laundry...I could not breath. When I showered and shampooed my hair....I would collapse on the bed in what was later diagnosed as asthma attacks. When I would paint my nails...my whole body became numb and vibrated to the point where I wanted to scream. I was developing extreme muscle aches and joint pain....to the point where I was in constant pain 24/7. I was unable to think, concentrate, co ordinate my movements. My digestion was not working and I developed food allergies I never had before. What is going on, I thought? I feel like I am living in the Twilight Zone....I do not feel like the same person....and I wasn't. I was dying a slow death....my lymphatic system was no longer able to filter out toxins and my lymph nodes became swollen, hard and painful and I was becoming "pre cancerous". Everything was bothering me...perfume, cleaning products, the copy machine and I was becoming intolerant to mold and auto exhaust. My health plummeted to the point where I was no longer able to work and I could no longer drive my beautiful Lincoln. The Donna I knew since birth was destroyed, dead and gone....and replaced with a none functioning body of a human that thought she would go crazy and was scared to death.....and all for what? A few ants. A neighbor complained about a few ants and the landlord called an exterminator....and along with getting rid of the ants....my live and health were destroyed.
"You better go to a doctor"....I was told. So I did. The doctors made me worse. They treated the symptoms and not the cause. Instead of ridding my body of the toxins, they were adding to the toxic overload with medication...pills....pharmaseuticals. I was given massive doses of anti biotics, muscle relaxers, pain pills, inhalers and oh, yes....they gave me a prescription for anti depressants (which I would not fill) I was not depressed!!!.....I was sick and dying! The chemicals in the pills were adding to the distress I was feeling so I threw away all my pills and stopped going to doctors. Instead I resigned myself to go to bed and prepare to die. The only doctor I wanted to see was Dr Kavorkian.
In a weakened state, seeing in triplicate, I was carried into the office of Dorothy Sherman. At that point breathing was impossible and I was so weak I was unable to stand or walk on my own. I will never forget that day....that day was my Wake Up Call!......
...."Dorothy", I said in a labored voice...."you are my last hope. If you can not help me, I do not know what I am going to do." "Oh, I can help you", Dorothy said.....this woman looked deep into my eye balls and shot me with such a blast of positive energy that I felt my body jerk with strength. "But YOU are going to have to do everything I say". And I did. Dorothy taught me how to make myself well through proper diet, a protocol of vitamins and herbs, and other modalities of healing such as energy work, hydro therapy, exercise and positive thinking just to name a few. In essence I had to get my lymphatic system flowing again in order to filter out toxins AND I had to eliminate "chemicals" from my life. No more make up, perms, nail polish....I had to through away my shampoos and skin creams and use only organic skin care products. I had to throw away my laundry detergents and dish liquid and replace them with items that were free of petro chemicals....I had to replace practically everything in my life with petro chemical free, fragrance free and no VOC products....and, above all...stay away from pesticides!
It was a long and slow road back to the point where I was able to function in society again....but I will always be chemically sensitive. And I will always have to control my environment and live chemical free. But my experience has given me an advantage over most people in the fact that I am aware of how pesticides and chemicals can destroy a person's health and life....most people are not. Yes, my Pesticide Poisoning was my "wake up call" to a better way of life...and a healthier life. And now I am passing the baton to you in hopes that this Blog will be your "wake up call" also. The articles that follow will provide a tutorial of what products need to be avoided, why and what alternatives are available. If there is just one person out there that will benefit from my experience, I will consider my struggle to be my badge of honor.
It was 1986 and I was at the top of my game....I was a winner with each role of the dice. I had survived the recession of the '70's totally unscathed...had more job offers than I was able to accept and made more money than I ever dreamed. At the height of gas rationing I went out and bought myself a Lincoln Mark V and walked around in Tahari Suits dripping with gold jewelry and perfect makeup from the top of my permed head to the bottom of my painted toes. Yes, life was good....I was prosperous and dressed up like a New York Model. That all changed in a twinkling of an eye and a deep breath.
It was July 8th, 1986 about 5:30pm and I was in the emergency room at New Britain General in a coma unable to move, speak or see....but I was able to hear. The doctors were perplexed, as the lab reports came back....and no explanation of why I was in a coma. I heard one doctor say, "I don't understand this. It is like an acute allergic reaction....like an anaphylactic shock. What was different?....what did she do that was different? Did she change her laundry detergent?....did she eat a new food? Something she was exposed to is causing this reaction. I can remember hearing my dad say....I don't think she did anything different....except for the exterminators spraying her apartment this morning. At that piece of information about the exterminator....the doctor shouted out....PESTICIDES! She has "pesticide poisoning".......
Pesticide poisoning, I thought.....what is pesticide poisoning? HA! I was to soon find out. More tests were taken...but more specific tests. The most important and telling tests were those taken of my liver functions. In the 3 hours since my first inhalation of the fumes from the pesticides, my lab tests showed "liver damage". I heard the doctor say....these tests confirm, she has pesticide poisoning....but we do not know what to do for it....how to treat it. What we do know is that her immune system is being destroyed and her health will get worse to the point where she will be allergic to everything in her environment....she will develop Multiple Chemical Sensitivities and become a "universal reactor". The pesticides have destroyed the cholinesterase in her system....and she will become sensitive to every chemical she comes in contact with. What kind of mad talk is this, I thought? I could not process these words....but I will never forget them. That was the beginning of the end of my life as I knew it........
What is this madness?...pesticides poisoning, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, cholinesterase, universal reactor? I'm fine. I came out of my coma in just 2 days....and after 6 weeks the tingling and numbness in my arms and legs are gone. So what is the big deal? I am Donna again! But I wasn't. I would never be "Donna" again. Very soon I noticed I was developing breathing problems...that continuously got worse day by day...related to what I was exposed to. I noticed that when I did laundry...I could not breath. When I showered and shampooed my hair....I would collapse on the bed in what was later diagnosed as asthma attacks. When I would paint my nails...my whole body became numb and vibrated to the point where I wanted to scream. I was developing extreme muscle aches and joint pain....to the point where I was in constant pain 24/7. I was unable to think, concentrate, co ordinate my movements. My digestion was not working and I developed food allergies I never had before. What is going on, I thought? I feel like I am living in the Twilight Zone....I do not feel like the same person....and I wasn't. I was dying a slow death....my lymphatic system was no longer able to filter out toxins and my lymph nodes became swollen, hard and painful and I was becoming "pre cancerous". Everything was bothering me...perfume, cleaning products, the copy machine and I was becoming intolerant to mold and auto exhaust. My health plummeted to the point where I was no longer able to work and I could no longer drive my beautiful Lincoln. The Donna I knew since birth was destroyed, dead and gone....and replaced with a none functioning body of a human that thought she would go crazy and was scared to death.....and all for what? A few ants. A neighbor complained about a few ants and the landlord called an exterminator....and along with getting rid of the ants....my live and health were destroyed.
"You better go to a doctor"....I was told. So I did. The doctors made me worse. They treated the symptoms and not the cause. Instead of ridding my body of the toxins, they were adding to the toxic overload with medication...pills....pharmaseuticals. I was given massive doses of anti biotics, muscle relaxers, pain pills, inhalers and oh, yes....they gave me a prescription for anti depressants (which I would not fill) I was not depressed!!!.....I was sick and dying! The chemicals in the pills were adding to the distress I was feeling so I threw away all my pills and stopped going to doctors. Instead I resigned myself to go to bed and prepare to die. The only doctor I wanted to see was Dr Kavorkian.
In a weakened state, seeing in triplicate, I was carried into the office of Dorothy Sherman. At that point breathing was impossible and I was so weak I was unable to stand or walk on my own. I will never forget that day....that day was my Wake Up Call!......
...."Dorothy", I said in a labored voice...."you are my last hope. If you can not help me, I do not know what I am going to do." "Oh, I can help you", Dorothy said.....this woman looked deep into my eye balls and shot me with such a blast of positive energy that I felt my body jerk with strength. "But YOU are going to have to do everything I say". And I did. Dorothy taught me how to make myself well through proper diet, a protocol of vitamins and herbs, and other modalities of healing such as energy work, hydro therapy, exercise and positive thinking just to name a few. In essence I had to get my lymphatic system flowing again in order to filter out toxins AND I had to eliminate "chemicals" from my life. No more make up, perms, nail polish....I had to through away my shampoos and skin creams and use only organic skin care products. I had to throw away my laundry detergents and dish liquid and replace them with items that were free of petro chemicals....I had to replace practically everything in my life with petro chemical free, fragrance free and no VOC products....and, above all...stay away from pesticides!
It was a long and slow road back to the point where I was able to function in society again....but I will always be chemically sensitive. And I will always have to control my environment and live chemical free. But my experience has given me an advantage over most people in the fact that I am aware of how pesticides and chemicals can destroy a person's health and life....most people are not. Yes, my Pesticide Poisoning was my "wake up call" to a better way of life...and a healthier life. And now I am passing the baton to you in hopes that this Blog will be your "wake up call" also. The articles that follow will provide a tutorial of what products need to be avoided, why and what alternatives are available. If there is just one person out there that will benefit from my experience, I will consider my struggle to be my badge of honor.
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